Lime e-scooters take 'seasonal pause' in Hutt Valley
Wednesday, 12 June 2019
The juice has run dry over winter for e-scooter provider Lime which will cease operations in the Hutt Valley next week citing lower usage in the colder months.
The e-scooters will be available until June 17. The company has not been offering its services in Upper Hutt since May following a spate of incidents in which its e-scooters were vandalised.
Lime public affairs manager Lauren Mentjox said the 'seasonal pause' was common in the market and was used by Lime in other countries.
The cessation of services will last throughout winter and Mentjox said Lime's e-scooters would be back on the streets in spring or summer. The company did not have a date set for the reintroduction.
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The company was committed to integrating its services into the Wellington region's transport network, she said.
Lime would not be pausing its operations in other parts of the country.
Hutt City Council spokeswoman Caryn Ellis said the council was disappointed by the withdrawal.
'The trial of e-scooters with Lime has shown us that Lower Hutt residents are interested in the introduction of new and more sustainable forms of transport in our city.
'There have been more than 52,000 riders who have taken over 225,000 trips on Lime scooters. This demonstrates that there is demand for new forms of technology-led transport which Hutt City Council remains committed to exploring.'
The council was examining mico-mobility solutions as part of Lower Hutt's transportation network and a survey was underway which would help inform the council's decisions regarding transport options available to the public.
They had not counted out the possibility of having other e-scooter operators in the city.
Upper Hutt Mayor Wayne Guppy met with representatives from Lime on Wednesday and said he understood their reasons for the pause.
He thought the 'financial decision' to pull out when patronage was low was reasonable. 'They'll be back and ready to go in summer.'